GUN TESTS GRADE: A
$735
The Smith & Wesson Shield has been one of the biggest success stories in American firearms history. Introduced in 2012, S&W now reports sales of more than 3 million units. It is small, easy to carry, and shoots well. It is also relatively inexpensive. What’s not to like? Except, perhaps, an only-okay trigger, and maybe the sights could be more visible. The Model 2.0 set out to fix those issues, and the Performance Center made the pistol even better. Gun Tests acquired the newest model with a 4-inch barrel. The extra barrel length almost puts the pistol into a different category. The longer barrel and the more muzzle-heavy feel make this pistol a bit softer to shoot than the smaller versions. Using the extended magazine, this pistol could have enough ammunition capacity to be considered as a true home-defense pistol, but it is still small enough to easily carry it concealed.
| Action Type | Semi auto, striker fired |
| Overall Length | 7.1 in. |
| Overall Height | 5.13 in. |
| Maximum Width | 1.04 in. |
| Weight Unloaded (no magazine) | 20.1 oz. |
| Weight Loaded | 26.5 oz. w/9 rounds |
| Slide Material | Stainless steel, Armornite finish |
| Slide Retraction Effort | 13.7 lbs. |
| Receiver Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Black |
| Front Strap Height | 1.8 in. |
| Back Strap Height | 3.0 in. |
| Barrel Length | 4.0 in. |
| Grip Thickness (Maximum) | 0.95 in. |
| Grip Circumference | 5.2 in. |
| Magazine | (1) 7 round & (1) extended 8 round |
| Rear Sight | Fiber optic in drift-adjustable dovetail |
| Front Sight | Fiber optic in dovetail |
| Sight Radius | 5.9 in. |
| Trigger Pull Weight | 4.3 lbs. |
| Trigger Span | 2.1 in. |
| Safety | Trigger safety, hammer block |
| Warranty | Smith & Wesson Lifetime Service Policy |
| Telephone | (800) 331-0852 |
| Website | Smith-Wesson.com |
| Made In | USA |
The Performance Center did some extra magic on this pistol. The trigger has been improved considerably both in weight and crispness. Trigger compression only required 4.3 pounds on average. There is some take-up before the shooter gets to the pressure wall, as on most striker-fired pistols. After that point is reached, there is very little creep, and the trigger breaks cleanly. The PC even added an overtravel bump behind the trigger to cut down on required trigger movement and to speed reset.
The sights were improved from the standard three-dot set to fiber-optic sights both front and rear. The front sight is a single, green-optic tube covered by what can best be described as a cage. The rear sight is a double set of red-optic tubes also surrounded by a cage. These cages allow a lot of light to reach the optic tubes while still protecting them from damage. Stippling on the grips has been improved to allow a much more secure grip. It’s perhaps even a bit too aggressive in texture, and we would suggest that some sort of garment be worn between the shooter’s skin and the pistol. The sides of the slide are scalloped both front and rear to allow the slide to easily be retracted or a to perform a simple and safe press check.
Last, the slide is already milled and drilled for the mounting of a Shield SMS sight, which is included in this package. The SMS version of the sight is slightly larger than the RMSc, but the difference is small enough that we had to use a set of calipers to make sure our eyes weren’t deceiving us. The way the SMS sight is mounted on the Shield pistol allows the user to leave the rear sight on the pistol when the SMS is installed. We like that.
Battery longevity is a concern with any electronic device. How long will they last? In the case of an electronic sight, how easy are they to access for replacement? Does the sight have to be removed and, if so, how much work and time are involved to sight the pistol back in? The Shield sight website claims that batteries should last two to three years under normal usage. This is not an on/off switch relying on motion-detecting technology. The sight is on 24/7 and this is just expected battery life. We can’t hold onto these guns for years as part of the test, but we can report that sights have stayed on for several months without problems or any weaker beam. The Shield RMSc and SMS models require the sight to be removed to change the battery. We found this to be easy to do, and the zero was closely maintained when we put the sight back on.
Our Team Said: The Shield has the longest barrel we tested in this group of pistols. We felt that extra weight out front softened the recoil and the muzzle flip noticeably. Function was flawless. This pistol had the lightest trigger in this group. While still very safe, we thought it contributed to the overall shooting results. The Shield allowed excellent speed and, except for the magazine capacity, might well have been our overall top pick. If you think eight (plus one) is enough for you, check out the Performance Center Shield.
Written and photographed by Joe Woolley, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers.
